It doesn’t sound as if the Vikings will go after former University of Minnesota star receiver Eric Decker.
General manager Mike Maccagnan said Tuesday that if the New York Jets can’t trade Decker, they will move forward without him.
Following the Vikings annual charity golf tournament Wednesday at The Meadows at Mystic Lake in Prior Lake, general manager Rick Spielman took questions from a group of more than 100 golfers who had paid an entry fee to participate. The first question was whether the Vikings will go after Decker.
“We always look at everybody that is released, but we feel pretty confident with our receiving corps right now,’’ Spielman said. “Just watching Stefon Diggs (and) Adam Thielen. … Laquon Treadwell is totally different (than as a rookie last year). … And to pick up a Michael Floyd, he’s been real impressive.
“Jarius Wright, he’s been kind of a forgotten man, but he’s out there making plays every day and we have two rookies that are pretty impressive so far (in Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley). So we feel pretty confident at this point where our depth is at that position, that we do have some weapons. … But … you never know. We always keep the door open for everybody.’’
Spielman was asked about the progress of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a horrific knee injury last August and missed the entire season. Bridgewater has been throwing during three weeks of organized team activities in position drills and on the side but has not been cleared to practice.
“Everybody asks me the timeline when he’s coming back, and it’s an unknown because of the severity of the injury, and there’s no history out there for a quarterback from coming back from this type of injury.,’’ Spielman said. “I know his goal and everybody’s goal is to keep rehabbing and get him on the field hopefully as soon as he’s healthy.
“But we’re not going to put his health at risk. We want to wait and make sure the doctors clear him before we would do anything to put Teddy out there.’’
In the meantime, Spielman said “there’s a battle between Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke” to be the backup quarterback behind Sam Bradford.
Spielman was asked about competition at kicker between Kai Forbath and Marshall Koehn, and he said it’s close. Forbath finished the season with the Vikings last year after they released erratic Blair Walsh in November.
“(Koehn) has an extremely strong leg,’’ Spielman said. “Right now, it’s a heated battle and I think we’ve charted over 248 field goals as of (Wednesday) and I can tell you it’s neck-and-neck. That will be a big training camp battle coming up, but watch out for (Koehn), he’s got a chance to be pretty special.’’
Spielman offered an update on the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the Vikings’ home that will open around March 1, 2018, in Eagan. He said the plan is for the football operations department to move into the new facility when the combine concludes around then.
“(That’s) going to be extremely important because that’s when we’re getting prepped for the draft and when we have free agents coming in and we’re going to have all our draft meetings (there),’’ Spielman said.
Spielman said the facility will be “state of the art” and “will be the best facility I know in the NFL.’’
MURRAY MAKING PROGRESS
Injured running back Latavius Murray can’t practice yet and didn’t golf Wednesday, but he expects next week to take a big step.
Murray said he should be able to resume running following surgery March 22 on his right ankle. Murray spoke at the tournament and drove around the course to cheer on teammates.
“I started running just in the Alter G (machine) and then the pool,’’ Murray said of after he had his walking boot removed May 30. “One more week in the pool or not fully on the field and I believe next week hopefully I’ll get to running straight ahead.’’
Murray will miss all of spring drills, which conclude with a June 13-15 minicamp. He said last week he expects to be ready “at some point” after training camp starts in late July but couldn’t say if it will be at the start.
Murray signed with the Vikings six days before his surgery, with the team knowing beforehand he would have the procedure. He said it has helped in his recovery process having gone through surgery on his left ankle while with Oakland following his rookie year in 2014.
“I knew what to expect,’’ Murray said.
Whenever Murray returns from his latest surgery, he will battle rookie Dalvin Cook and fourth-year man Jerick McKinnon to start. He vows to be ready.
“The more competition in one room, the better off the group can be, and we have that,’’ Murray said. “I’m going to do everything (in training camp) I can, like I have in the past, to separate myself, and I’m sure those guys are going to do the same.’’
BRIEFLY
Bradford, who didn’t participate in team drills in Tuesday’s OTA session because of muscle tightness, was a full participant Wednesday. … Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who recently took two weeks off to rest his eye after an eighth surgery, did not participate in the golf outing so that he could rest more. Speaking after the event, Spielman quipped about Zimmer taking the time off, “He didn’t talk to me for three days when I told him he had to go back to his ranch in Kentucky.’’
